Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-01-27
A WOMAN'S BLUNDER.
What Came Of a Village Post
mistress Carelessness.

"Muffins and crumpets made to or
der" Thus ran the written notice,
penned, too, in characters nearly APP
preaching half-text. stuck up in one of
the few principal shops facing the
main street.
The unimportant village of ''Lam-
merton" lay somewhat far away from
any town, and therefore did fair
amount of steady-going business on its
own account. Foremost of all ranked
the repository or store of Janet Lisle,
in which she sold stationery, news
papers, the magazines of the day if
duly ordered in time, besides a variety
of useful odds and ends. She was also
the village postmistress, and carried
out the duties of her Office with Il
marked regard to promptitude. In
each of these pursuits, however, she
was aided by her pretty and also win
some niece, Elsie Falconbridge.
In all reality, Elsie was more mis-
tress of the postal department than
Janet Lislc herself. 1t was she who
ordinarily undertook the dispatch of
that twice-a-day lctter-bag, bestowing
upon each missive previously the due
official stamp-mark. ''Janet Isles
right hand, in fact" as every one said.
She, too, it was who made the
mullins and crumpets - mullins and
crumpets which were so popular in
the village that no one ever drcamt
of having tea party without also
having mullins and crumpets" to
match.
"Oblige me with a two-cent stamp.
Miss Falconbridge, won't you?" and a
somewhat elderly man at that moment
stared her full in the face-this neces-
sarily, however-through the gap
made in the wire network marking off
the spot allotted to the post-Office de-
partment.
She handed him what he required.
"And u registered envelope, also,"
he said.
Again she had fulfilled his request.
THANK you," and without much ado
he deposited a twcnty-dollar note with
in the same.
..All right" he soliloquized, as old
gentlemen are SO fond of doing.
"Come. that's done. at any rate" be-
added. in self-congratulatory fashion.
Then came aloud. questioningly:
"In the letter-box?-or shall leave
it with you?''
you can leave it here, sir" an
severed Elsie, quietly.
Others were now coming in fast. de-
manding this and that, and in adopt
ing a calm exterior lay her only chance
of attending rightly to each petitioner.
Janet Lisle also was unusually busy
that afternoon. Miss Veal, the richest
old lady in the parish. gave large tea
party that very evening. and mullins
and crumpets were accordingly being
sent off in starlingly large quantities.
lis there any letter waiting for me
to-day, please?" asked somewhat tim
id voice few minutes later On.
"No, Miss Josephine. nothing"
81 am sorry. Disappointing-is it
not?"
The two speakers seemed fully to
comprehend each other. There existed,
apparently. a sort of pleasant sympathy
between them. Both we're pretty. Both
looked good. and also thoroughly in
earnest. Only, that the assistant post
mistress appeared full of brightness
and life. and the girl how facing her
wore the aspect of being tired of life
already.
yes. very. am sorry, too"
"Thank you. You are always kind.
/ will look in again tomorrow, if my
doing SO will not trouble You too
much"
Mot at al, Miss Josephine"
The last-named was already moving
away 70 make room for some one else.